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Expecting Trouble: The Myth of Prenatal Care in America
Author:
Thomas H. Strong Jr.
Amazon
Description:
Drawing from the literature of medical and
epidemiological research, Strong- "a second-generation
obstetrician"- presents compelling evidence that prenatal
care in the United States does little to improve birth outcomes. The
current trend toward universal prenatal care is fueled not by
evidence that it is effective, he argues, but by unexamined
assumptions as well as political expediency and economic greed.
While stressing that access to prenatal care should not be impeded,
Strong recommends that the technology and costs for uncomplicated
pregnancies be scaled down, noting that prenatal care for these
pregnancies could be shifted from obstetricians to midwives whose
care is as effective but less costly. Obstetricians, in turn, could
then focus on what they do well - "assisting pregnancies with
medical complications that respond to treatment" -
and the routine use of costly, high-tech procedures that do not
improve outcome could be halted. In support of his vision, Strong
explores a range of medical and public-policy issues currently under
debate. Provocative and stimulating, this book performs a valuable
service by bringing evidence on this vital issue out of the research
literature and into public discourse and providing the tools for a
long-needed paradigm shift. |